sLOVEnka: Bradlo

Last Saturday our friends invited us on a hike to Bradlo, not far from where we live. The weather was perfect. The distance and difficulty were perfect (read: hard enough to push Lily, but doable). The company was perfect. I got a botany lesson and even got to forage a little. Andrejka's snacks were perfect and timely. She has a gift for this. She knows just what to bring and just when to bring it out. This year it was string cheese on the way up and brownies and apples at the top. Then of course there was the campfire afterwards at the house she and Jurček bought recently. When I went into this house I experienced one of my top three favorite feelings in the whole entire world. The sense of being transported back in time, in a place you absolutely love. I can't even explain it. But the way that house made me feel was amazing. The furniture made me...I don't know...want to grab it and run? The tiles, the carpet, the walls, everything reminded me of a Montana farmhouse built in the 1940s or so. I meant to take pictures but forgot (future post!) Anyhoo, Tomáš' eyes were making indents in the backsides of their sockets with each and every comment and gasp I made. It's disappointing to know that I will never live in a house like this. He does not share my enthusiasm for this kind of interior decoration because for him it's just exactly what you'd find in an old village house. Something in need of a complete redo. Škoda.
I so desperately needed this day. There's just no replacement for getting outdoors with friends and exploring. And Slovakia is a perfect place to do it. I'm always taken aback at the beauty of the mildness of this country. Montana is a state of extremes. Extreme cold in the winter, extreme heat in the summer, and the landscape reflects that. Jagged, rocky mountains. And it's beautiful. Slovakia is a country of mildness. Mild winters, mild summers, gently rolling green hills. And it's also beautiful. Maybe this summer we'll (finally) get to explore the Montana-like High Tatras in mild Slovakia. It might just be(come) my favorite place on Earth.